7 God-Tier Marvel Villains the MCU Hasn’t Used

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Let’s be honest, the MCU loves a good, powerful villain. We saw some pretty formidable foes in the early days – Red Skull, Loki, even the Abomination – but none of them really prepared us for Thanos. He first hinted at his arrival in that post-credits scene of The Avengers, and from there, while our heroes were busy with threats like Ultron and HYDRA (and sometimes each other!) throughout Phases Two and Three, he was quietly building towards something massive. That something explodes onto the scene in Avengers: Infinity War, and honestly, the stakes never let up in Avengers: Endgame. It’s a movie that truly brings everything the MCU has built up to a head – you really feel like the entire universe is on the line.

Ever since Thanos was defeated, it feels like the Marvel Cinematic Universe just keeps throwing incredibly powerful villains at us – almost every few months! We had Ikaris and Arishem nearly wiping out Earth, and then Kang giving Ant-Man a real fight while trying to take over the Quantum Realm. It’s amazing how many strong baddies Marvel has, and it seems they’re still holding some back! I’ve been thinking about it, and here are seven villains from the comics who could be truly epic in the MCU – and who we haven’t seen yet.

7) Ares

The gods of Greek mythology are becoming more prominent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor defeats Zeus and takes his lightning bolt. Angry about the loss, Zeus sends his son, Hercules, to find Thor.

It’s no surprise Zeus would choose Hercules, his strongest son, but Ares is also a strong contender. Known for constantly battling powerful heroes like Thor in the comics, Ares even briefly joined a villainous team called the Dark Avengers, where he acted as their muscle.

6) Onslaught

Magneto and Professor X constantly clash over the best path forward for mutants. Magneto thinks mutants must be strong and assertive to protect themselves from humans, while Professor X hopes humans and mutants can coexist peacefully through understanding and acceptance.

Professor X finally grew tired of Magneto’s schemes and attempted to delve into his mind. This backfired, overwhelming Professor X with Magneto’s darkest feelings and creating a powerful new entity called Onslaught. Once formed, Onslaught decided that both humans and mutants were undeserving of their abilities and tried to eliminate them.

5) Annihilus

The Marvel Cinematic Universe loves the idea of hidden worlds. We see this with Ant-Man’s adventures in the Quantum Realm, full of strange beings, and in Shang-Chi, where he visits Ta-Lo, a magical place with dragons and other mythical creatures – the birthplace of his mother.

I’ve learned that not all of those pocket universes are fun and games. Take the Negative Zone, for example – it’s ruled by Annihilus, a seriously dangerous guy from the planet Arthros. He uses this powerful thing called the Cosmic Control Rod to force everyone to do what he wants. The Fantastic Four have fought him a lot, and honestly, it rarely goes well for them. It’s a pretty scary place!

4) Gladiator

The MCU isn’t a peaceful place, as Thanos and his forces demonstrate. Beyond them, the Shi’ar Empire is another powerful threat, known for easily conquering planets with their strong military force, the Imperial Guard.

Gladiator, a remarkably powerful being from the planet Strontia, leads the Imperial Guard. He’s usually an enemy of superhero teams like the X-Men and the Avengers, but he occasionally switches sides and has even teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

3) Apocalypse

Magento often considers himself the X-Men’s biggest enemy, consistently challenging Professor X and his team with difficult situations. Despite this, he’s often overshadowed by another villain, Apocalypse.

Whenever the ancient villain appears, he creates a powerful team of riders from mutants, bolstering his defenses. This forces the X-Men to battle their old allies in order to prevent him from dominating the world.

2) Knull

Spider-Man consistently struggles with the threat of symbiotes. Once he’s been taken over by one – often resulting in aggressive behavior – they repeatedly return, most notably as Venom. His problems are further complicated by Carnage, a symbiote that bonds with the dangerous serial killer Cletus Kasady.

It’s been revealed that all the symbiotes come from one being: Knull, also known as the King in Black. He’s an incredibly powerful villain, even for Spider-Man, as he’s battled and defeated beings like Celestials and Asgardians. Armed with the dangerous Necrosword, very few heroes stand a chance against him.

1) Nightmare

Doctor Strange has faced powerful enemies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Dormammu and Baron Mordo, who still poses a threat. However, he hasn’t yet battled his most iconic comic book foe in a movie.

Nightmare lives in his own realm within the Dark Dimension, a place Doctor Strange knows well. He traps people in their most terrifying dreams, and grows stronger with every nightmare he creates.

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2025-11-24 21:14